Improvement in means for propelling vessels



UNITED STATEs PATENT QEEIoE.

WILLIAM SHEPARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT INl MEANS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,391, dated August 13, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM SEEPARD, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have made acertain new and useful Improved Marine Propeller; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and true description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to an improved manner of propelling vessels, canal-boats, tugs, as well as sea-going vessels. The object of the construction of propeller here shown is to avoid agitation of water, to force and retain the water at the stern for propulsion and otherwise, to act with greater power and useful eiect to produce or receive propulsion than ordinarily achieved. The nature of this invention consists inthe combination of a propellerwheel having inside and outsideJ ilukes or blades, with a cylindrical casing and suitable pipes, so that the water is drawn from the bow of' the boat to be ejected at the stern, as will hereinafter more fullyappear.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my said invention, I will now more fully describe the same, referring to- Figure l as a top plan; to Fig. 2 as a longitudinal sectional elevation; to Fig. 3 as an enlarged detail of propeller.

As applied to the hull of vessels, my improved propeller, hereafter described, is arranged as follows: At the bottom and within hull of vessel is secured, properly, a cylinder-- casing, A, closed at the fore7 end only. rIhe said cylinder A receives its supply of water through flumes or pipes B B', said water-pipes B B being bifurcated to allow for proper play of the crank attachment, and further made to pierce the sides of the vessel, (see dotted lines,) or to extend along ships bottom to the eX- treme bow. (See Fig. l.) By thus connecting the pipes B B' to communicate with outside bow of the vessel, the displacement of water from bow is materially assisted, and also the swells ordinarily produced are avoided.

Outside the stern of vessel is arranged to operate, for propulsion, the propeller O. The said propeller C consists of diagonal-arranged blades c, inwardly secured to a collar or hub, c1, and circular'rim or band c2, as indicated in Fig. 3. On the outside of band c2 are secured diagonally-arran ged, vertical, crescentshaped ilukes or blades c3, their pitch being greater than inside blades c, asshown, (see Fig. 3,) the action of said inward blades c being to create a suction for the water passing through pipes B B', and at the same time in propelling action to effect and force the water straight from the stern of the vessel. The shaft C1 of the propeller is supported in proper journalbearings in the stern-post O2, its opposite end connecting, by proper crank attachment, to the engine or power source, as ordinarily.

The propeller C thus constructed, in its revolving and propelling action, entirely prevents any commotion of water, acts with increased speed and power, and otherwise possesses special advantages for canal propulsion readily apparent; and further, by the combination of the improved propeller with the pipes great advantage is derived, in that it takes only sufficient water from the bow of the boat to prevent swells, the rest of the propelling being done by the crescent-shaped flukes or blades. By such construction and arrangement of parts smaller pipes or liumes can be used than ordinarily, and thus allow a greater carrying capacity to the boat.

Having thus fully describedvmy said inven- Y tion, what I claim, is'- The propeller C, constructed as described, in combination with cylinder-casing A, pipes B B, and stern-post O2, substantially as and `for the purpose set forth.

In testimony of said invention I have here unto set my hand.

- WM. SHEPARD.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. HERTHEL, ROBERT BURNS. 

